Later that evening, Arthur, Merlin, Mordred and Gwaine sat around in Merlin's chambers, discussing what Mordred found out. Despite, Gaius' protests about Merlin going anywhere, the warlock knew that such a delicate meeting could not take place in the small confines of the physician's chambers. A place where Gwen could show up at any time. She was less likely to visit Merlin in his own chambers, than she would Gaius'

"The queen met with the Sarrum earlier and the two of them are planning for one of the Sarrum's men to kill you during the peace treaty signing," Mordred said as he looked at the king.

"How would that be possible? The room will be filled with the knights and the Sarrum's soldiers," Arthur questioned.

"There's a balcony just above the entrance. The assassin could hide up there without being detected," Merlin pointed out.

"He'd need a key," Gwaine said.

"Gwen could easily provide them the key," Arthur explained. "She has access to all the keys of the castle."

"We have to get the key before she does," Mordred stated.

"I have a better idea," Merlin offered up as he began to lay out his plan.

Merlin watched from the balcony as everyone entered the council chambers and gathered around the round table. Everything was in place. The only thing that was missing was the assassin, who would be arriving in a matter of seconds.

Everyone last night didn't like the idea of Merlin going up there by himself. But he had gotten them to agree since the Sarrum hadn't met him and the fact that all the knights had to be present for the signing. None of them liked the idea, but it was the only way to stop him.

"Merlin, I always thought you were stupid, but not this stupid," Arthur stated after hearing Merlin's plan. "And you're still recovering from your injuries and being poisoned."

"It might be stupid, Arthur, but it makes the most sense," Merlin defended, holding back the urge to hit the prat with his cane. "The Sarrum would find it highly suspicious if I'm present at the signing since he hasn't met me. Besides how am I to protect you if I'm with you? If the assassin really will be in the balcony I have to be there as well. I can't be in the crowd. It's too risky."

"At least have Mordred with you," Gwaine suggested.

Merlin shook his head. "All the knights have to be present during the signing."

"Well he's never met or seen Mordred, so he wouldn't know the difference," Arthur pointed out.

"I believe he does know," Mordred stated. "He saw me as I was leaving with Gwaine and Percival. Merlin's right. It might be stupid but it's the only way."

Merlin was pulled from his thoughts when he heard the door at the bottom of the stairs creak open. The warlock then took his place behind a pillar.

He listened as the assassin took his place and got ready to take aim. Before the assassin could release the bolt, Merlin came out his hiding place and hit the assassin in the head with his cane.

The assassin, who turned out to be Albin, lost his balance and thus his aim was thrown off causing the bolt hit the Sarrum instead.

"LEON!" Merlin heard Arthur yell from down below.

Albin turned and looked at the injured warlock, who was grinning like an idiot, as he leaned heavily on his cane. "Who are you?"

"Could you by chance tell me where I might be able to find the physician's chambers?" Merlin asked in return, as he played his role. "I seem to be lost."

Albin then dropped his crossbow pulled out two knives and threw them at the warlock. As Merlin went to duck, his bad leg gave out under him, causing him to fall on his back. The assassin picked up his crossbow once and began to place another bolt in it.

Merlin picked up his cane and aimed at the bigger man and spoke an incantation, Ic þé wiþdrífe. His magic channelled through the cane and blasted Albin against a pillar, causing him to fall over the balcony.

The warlock, once on his feet looked over the balcony and into the crowd. Arthur was standing next to what appeared to be a very dead Sarrum of Amata. Merlin stumbled backwards, his back hitting the wall, as he shakily lowered himself to the floor. He rolled up his pant leg and looked at his bandaged wound. The bandage was now crimson red. He didn't bother trying to look at his torso, just feeling the pain thrum from it was enough to know he'd irritated the scarring more than it already was.

Just then Leon and several other knights came running onto the balcony. The knight went over to Merlin while another one looked over at the balcony at the scene that was unfolding below.

"Are you alright?" Leon asked as he looked at Merlin with concerned eyes.

"I'm fine," Merlin lied. In truth, everything hurt, and it felt like the room around him was spinning, while he remained still.

The knight looked over Merlin and noticed his bleeding leg and a massive cut on his left arm. "He hurt you," he stated, pointing to Merlin's bleeding arm.

Merlin looked at his arm. "Oh." He hadn't even registered the cut. He was so busy trying to stop Albin, that he hadn't even realized that he had been injured in the process.

"We must get you back to Gaius," Leon declared.

The warlock didn't even bother arguing. He was too tired to care. He didn't even care that Leon had picked him up from where he had been sitting. He just closed his eyes and let the darkness claim him.

Arthur, who had seen Leon carrying the manservant, quickly got Gaius' attention and left the dead Sarrum to be forgotten about. When the two finally caught up with Leon, the knight was trying to open the door to Merlin's chambers.

"What happened?" Arthur asked, getting the door open for him as he looked at the unconscious form that was Merlin.

"The assassin cut his arm. It's a very deep wound, and his leg wound was bleeding again," Leon explained as he set the young warlock down on his bed. "Merlin hadn't even realized he had been injured until I mentioned it. He lost consciousness before we even made it down the stairs."

Gaius set his medical bag down on the table. "I need one of you to get his tunic off and another to remove the bandage around his leg."

Arthur sat Merlin upright and began to take the man's tunic off. By the time Merlin's tunic had been removed and tossed to the side, so was the blood-soaked bandage.

"I need both of you to step outside so that I can work," Gaius said as he sat down next to the man, who had become his surrogate son in many ways.

Arthur and Leon, who both knew that Gaius worked better when there was no one else in the same room, left. As the wisened physician began to clean the gash on Merlin's arm, the younger man began to stir and groan in pain but did not wake.

Author's Note: I hope everyone who's reading the story is enjoying it so far. There's one more chapter to go in this story. I'd love to hear your thoughts on the story before I finish it and move on to the next part in the Price Has Been Paid series.

As always thank you for reading. Please don't forget to follow, share and leave a review.